A Dance With The Devil
by disturbedgrave
Summary: The glittering ballroom was suddenly dark and full of shadows. Where had everyone gone? There had been so many wedding guests there just a few moments ago...now, no-one. Not even Franz. Then, suddenly, there was someone...coming towards her...


A song-fic, feel free to kill me. ^^; I just had to, I immediately connected this song with Elisabeth, I had to! Forgive me... Oh, and this is loosely based off of the Takarazuka versions of this musical. I just love what they did to the character of Der Tod. I have a thing for beautiful pale guys with gorgeous hair...

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Disclaimer: I own nothing. The character of Elisabeth belongs to Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay, not me. Death belongs to himself. And the song "Dance with the Devil" belongs to the band** Breaking Benjamin.** I own nothing.

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Dedication: Once more, to Dalia N'Shard.

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_Here I stand, helpless and left for dead..._

Elisabeth stood in a ballroom, the shadows lengthy along the marbled floors. Her silken skirts swished on the ground as she slowly spun in place, looking about the glided hall. There was no-one there. There had been so many wedding guests there a few moments before, all dancing and smiling at her. Now...no-one at all. Not even Franz. Then, suddenly, there was someone...

_Close your eyes, so many days go by..._

A man stepped from the shadows that slowly lengthened on the floor. Her breath caught as she looked at him; he was so unearthly beautiful...Long silver curls, delicately chiseled features, beguiling lips and eyes that were the color of the night sky...they drew her close as he slowly glided towards her. He stopped a respectful distance from her. With a sweep of his arms, he bowed to her, the coat on his strong shoulders seeming to melt into the shadows.

_Easy to find what's wrong, harder to find what's right._

"Who are you?" she asked quietly, although her heart told her that she already knew. His eyes came up from his bow and an amused smile played on his lips as he looked at her.

"Do you not remember?" His voice was as smooth as silk and as dark as the shadows from which he had come. She took a small step closer.

"No...yet somehow I feel as though I know you."

_I believe in you, I can show you..._

His answering smile made her tremble lightly. "You do." he said quietly as he came closer. She was pulled into his eyes, his voice surrounded her. "Today, you are married. To the Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria...and yet, you do not love him." His voice whispered close to her ear, "You chose him to escape me."

She suddenly realized that his arm was about her, she quickly pushed it away with a gasp. He smiled again, his lips beguiling her further, his eyes consuming her again. "You two seem to be so happy, but even during these festivities," His black-gloved and elegant hand gestured to the darkened chandeliers, the shadows of what were guests, "your eyes are on me."

_That I can see right through all your empty lies._

They were suddenly in the middle of the ballroom, his arm was once more about her and he was drawing her close, their lips so very close together...."Stop!" she shouted, pulling away desperately, frightened.

_I won't last long, in this world so wrong!_

His coat was thrown from his shoulders to reveal a formal officer's uniform, highly decorated, though no medals she recognized. The coat was caught by what seemed to be a shadow of his before he caught her eye again, his elegant fingers turning her face towards him once more, arms open as if for a dance.

_Say goodbye, as we dance with the Devil tonight!_

"Your final dance will be with me." The assured voice of the statement made her tremble, she took a few steps away from him. He followed her. "It is your destiny, you cannot avoid it." He was suddenly so close, his fingers dancing along her jaw. She gasped and turned to run. Strong fingers grabbed her wrist.

_Don't you dare look at him in the eye!_

With a small whimper, she tried to pull away, but he pulled her to him instead. She realized she was pressed against his body; a tremor went down her spine as she felt his hand travel down her back, pushing into the small of her back, pushing her even closer. She felt his cold breath on her shoulder, his face nearly pressed into her neck.

_As we dance with the Devil tonight! _

Then, just as suddenly, he released her. She stumbled away, her breath caught in her throat. Heat was running through her veins like liquid sunlight. Even Franz's touch did not invoke such a reaction. She paused, slowly looking back to him, as he began to speak again.

"Time is growing old and sticky, the wine will become trite...The air, stale in this Hall of Mirrors." She could tell he was looking at her, those terrifyingly blue eyes were boring into her...as she turned, their eyes met. "The world watches as I wait for our duet..."

_Trembling, crawling across my skin..._

He suddenly swirled about her again, his piercing eyes never leaving hers. "You cannot deny it, Elisabeth! Your dance with me is destiny!" Franz stepped from the shadows, she ran to him only to see him vanish before her eyes. She swiftly turned again, the eyes still watching her. "I may have lost for the moment, but I know how to win!"

She turned and ran for the stairs.

_Feeling your cold dead eyes stealing the life of mine!_

The shadows blocked her; she turned about again, halfway up the stairs. There he stood, in the middle of the ballroom, larger than life, reaching for her. An eerie sound started to come from the shadows surrounding her, almost as if they were singing! Her eyes remained locked with his, she slowly started to come back down the stairs, a hand reaching to take the hand offered to her...

_I believe in you, I can show you that I can see right through all your empty lies!_

She suddenly broke the eye contact and tried to flee once more. She desperately looked about for help, but there was no-one, save the shadows and they had his eyes! The singing grew louder, she desperately clapped her hands over her ears.

"You belong with me, Elisabeth! The last dance belongs to me, you and I are destiny!"

_I won't last long in this world so wrong!_

She felt as though she couldn't deny...but she must! She had to! The shadows seemed to become bodies, all looked just like him! They surrounded and danced about her, the singing growing louder and louder. His hands suddenly grabbed hers and she was pulled into a spinning dance with him.

_Say goodbye, as we dance with the Devil tonight!_

The shadowed glitz of the ballroom dissolved into colors and sparkles as they spun about floor dizzily, his arms tight and possessive about her waist, his hand gripping hers tightly. She tried to pull away, but he swept her along, the shadows watching from the edges of the ballroom. "You cannot deny it, Elisabeth..." his voice whispered seductively so close to her ear that his breath felt like small feathers. "You belong with me."

_Don't you dare look him in the eye!_

With a flick of his wrist, she went spinning away. When she tried to stop herself, she stumbled over her heels and fell to the marbled floor. The shadows drew back, as if allowing her to breathe. But she couldn't...she looked up into those captivating eyes and was frozen.

_As we dance with the Devil tonight..._

"Elisabeth..." His lips folded possessively over her name as if he could taste it... His hand reached out for her. She backed away, shaking her head. He pulled his hand back. "The day will come when you will call for me." His eyes glittered down at her. "I will answer." His eyes glittered at her as a shadow bearing his eyes came back, giving him his overcoat with a reverence.

_Hold on...hold on...._

He slowly turned away from her and walked back into the shadows from whence he had come. She slowly stood as the shadows suddenly vanished; light, music and people came back.

"Elisabeth." She jumped as a hand descended on her shoulder. A quick look and it was Franz. She quickly threw her arms about him and clung to him as she trembled. "What is it, my darling?"

"Y-You didn't see?" she asked, looking at him with frightened eyes. He ran a gentle hand down her face, she shuddered.

"See what?"

"N-Nothing." she whispered, as a pair of midnight blue eyes looked back at her from the shadows of the doorway at the top of the marbled stairs. No-one would believe her anyways...

_Goodbye._


End file.
